You are not alone if you have attention-deficit hyperactivity
disorder.
About 4% of school age children have this.
In addition, other students have one or a few of the characteristics of ADHD.
Characteristics:
The strategies below are suggested as part of a professionally
organized program of assistance. They are derived from the American description of
ADHD1. However, as a student, you also have
your own personal learning style, including "intelligences" (c.f. Kolb),
personality types (c.f. Myers-Briggs), etc. These will be helpful to know and
develop in overcoming ADHD
In class:
To help you follow instructions:
- Simplify instructions down to a basic one or two, and build
from there. Verify these with your teacher, or
- Ask your teacher to break down assignments into steps for you
to follow
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Answering out of turn, or interrupting the
class or teachers is normal for ADHD, but it is best to remember that
you are trying to learn
- Write your question or comment down on paper before speaking
- Practice raising your hand before volunteering
- Refer to our Guide on
Classroom
Learning
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To take good notes is task for all students.
These techniques may give you an advantage:
- Bring a tape recorder to class
- Study with a classmate taking the same class
- Refer to our Guide on
Taking Notes in Lectures
- With ADHD, lecture is not the best form of learning. Ask your
teacher for a printed summary of the lecture, or alternative
methods to get the same information
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Homework:
To help you concentrate:
- Find a quiet place in your home, to avoid distraction such as
movement and noise of your family, pets, TV, telephones, music, etc.
- If space in your home is limited, your parents or tutor may find
space in a library, religious center, neighbor's house, or other
sympathetic place
- Special "headsets" can block out noise and help you focus
- get into a routine, a consistent time you study
- Refer to our Guide on Concentration
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To help you remember:
- Develop routines/habits!
For example, before going to school, organize your schoolwork in the
same way each day. Have some one help you begin to establish this
pattern
- Keep your assignments in the same pocket of your backpack. Tell
your teacher about it
- Keep a list of things to remember in a pocket of your backpack.
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To help with details
- Review your homework
with your parents, a classmate, a tutor
- use grammar and spell checkers regularly for computer work
Remember that making mistakes, or overlooking details, is not for lack
of intelligence, but rather a characteristic of this condition. |
Help with learning
 Take
care of yourself; get the help you need:
Patience is a challenge for those with ADHD.
If you are feeling angry, discouraged, or frustrated over your
progress, find some support. Our learning involves family, teachers,
professionals, as well as ourselves. We all need patience. Their
messages should be steady and consistent, but try to understand if
they aren't always so. |
According to the American Surgeon General "Inattention or
attention deficit may not become apparent until the child enters the
challenging environment of elementary school. Such children then have
difficulty paying attention to details and are easily distracted by other
events that are occurring at the same time; they find it difficult and
unpleasant to finish their schoolwork; they put off anything that requires a
sustained mental effort; they are prone to make careless mistakes, and are
disorganized, losing their school books and assignments; they appear not to
listen when spoken to and often fail to follow through on tasks.
... "There appears to be a "disconnect" between
developmental or educational (school-based) assessments and health-related
(medical practice-based) services." (DSM-IV; Waslick & Greenhill, 1997).Mental
Health, a Report from the Surgeon General, Chapter 3, as found at
http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/mentalhealth/chapter3/sec4.html
(December 11, 2000)
1.
American description of ADHD
http://www.mentalhealth.com/dis1/p21-ch01.html
See also: European description of "ADHD"
http://www.mentalhealth.com/icd/p22-ch01.html
Edits and revision with appreciation to Julia Nielson,
Counsellor, Athabasca University, Alberta, Canada.
See also:
Being in Control. The Role of Biofeedback in Controlling ADD
by Jason Alster, MSc,
http://www.lessontutor.com/ja_biofeedback.html
Includes a link to a bibliography on ADHD
Website overview: Since 1996 the
Study Guides and Strategies web site
has been researched, authored, maintained and supported by
Joe Landsberger
as an international, learner-centric, educational public service. Permission is granted to freely copy, adapt,
and distribute individual Study Guides in print format in non-commercial educational settings that benefit learners. Please be aware that the Guides welcome, and are under, continuous review and revision. For that reason, reproduction of all content on the Internet
can only be with permission through a licensed
agreement. No request to link to the Web site is necessary.
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